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The Scientist, the Collector, & the Treasure Hunter

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The Scientist, the Collector, & the Treasure Hunter UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA The Scientist, The Collector, & The Treasure Hunter. A Knowledge Centre for The Cradle of Humankind 2016 © University of Pretoria The Scientist, The Collector, & The Treasure Hunter A Knowledge Centre for The Cradle of Humankind ABIGAIL BARNARD Programme: Research and interpretation centre Location: Kromdraai Cave site, Cradle of Humankind 26°00'41"5, 27"44'60"E Client: Cradle of Humankind Trust, Scientific Community Keywords: UNESCO, world heritage, the Cradle of Humankind, fossil hominid site, demountable, research centre DECLARATION In accordance with Regulation 4(e) of the General Regulations (G. 57) for dissertations and thesis, I declare that the thesis, which I hereby submit for the degree Master of Architecture (Professional) at the University of Pretoria, is my own work and has not been submitted by me for a degree at this or any other tertiary institution. I further state that no part of my thesis has already, or is currently being submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification. I further declare that the thesis is substantially my own work. Where reference is made to the works of others, the extent to which that work has been used is indicated and fully acknowledged in the text and list of references. © University of Pretoria ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT The Cradle of Humankind, famous for its abundance of hominid fossils, has been preserved as a pristine 1l1is dissertation is dedicated to my father, Eugene Vaughan Barnard. landscape throughout the modern era, thanks to the establishment of the site as a natural and cultural World Heritage Site in 1994 (Maropeng 2016). In this dissertation the complexity surrounding a world heritage hominid fossil site is investigated. A special thanks to: Kromdraai Cave, one of the five original caves included in the World Heritage declaration on the Cradle of First and foremost, praises and thanks to my creator. Humankind, is investigated as a point of connection between conflicting values within the world heritage Thank you Derick de Bruyn for your wisdom, patience and support. context. Through the intervention the site is envisioned as connecting not only the values of the world heritage site, but also providing an understanding of the landscape as a whole. Thank you Francis Thackeray for your inspiration and time. Thank you Karlien van Niekerk, for proofreading and editing the document. The site is envisioned as a centre of knowledge, relating the value of the site directly to the context. The distribution of knowledge will allow the heritage to be accessible, not only to the scientist but also to the Thank you Marli and Danielle, for your home studio, friendship and moral support. community. Thank you to my parents for all your encouragement, sacrifices and unconditional love. A big thank you to Eugenic and Gerhard for all your help and humour. EKSERP Thank you Taryn for your advice and thank you Theunis for always being there for me. Die Wiegvan die Mensdom is bekend vir die oorvloed hominied-fossiele wat daar voorkom, en is dwarsdeur die moderne era as 'n ongerepte landskap bewaar, danksy die die feit dat dit in 1994 as 'n natuurlike en kulturele Werelderfenisgebied verklaar is (Maropeng 2016). Hierdie skripsie ondersoek die kompleksiteite wat so 'n hominied-werelderfenisgebied omring. Kromdraai-grot, een van die vyf oorspronklike grotte wat ingesluit is toe Werelderfenisstatus a an die Wieg van die Mensdom toegeken is, word as aansluitingspunt tussen teenstrydige waardes binne 'n werelderfeniskonteks ondersoek. Deur die voorgestelde ingryping word dit moontlik dat die terrein nie aileen 'n verband skep tussen die onderskeie waardes wat 'n werelderfenisgebied verteenwoordig nie, maar dat daar oak 'n beter begrip van die landskap as 'n geheel verskaf word. Die terrein word as 'n kennissentrum beskou, wat sy waarde direk met die konteks in verband bring. Die verspreiding van kennis sal die erfenis toeganklik maak vir nie net wetenskaplikes nie, maar ook vir die gemeenskap. © University of Pretoria Contents Chapter 1 1.1 The background 1.2 The proposed context and site 1.2.1 The Cradle of Humankind 1.2.2 Kromdraai cave context 1.3 The research problem 1.3.1 General issue 1.3.2 Urban issue 1.3.3 Architectural issue 1.4 Research questions 1.5 The dissertation intention 1.6 The methodology 1.7 The contribution Chapter2 2.1 The background 2.2 The evolution of the Cradle 2.3 Peri- urban context analysis 2.4 The existing framework 2.4.1 Mogale City 2.4.2 Threats 2.5 The peri- urban framework proposal t--..--- 2.5.1 The strategy 2.5.2 The methodology 2.5.3 The intention 2.5.4 Heritage and tourism 2.5.5 Environmental conservation 2.5.6 Community involvement Chapter3 2.1 The background 3.2 The background of the site 3.3 The site analysis 1.1 - (Author, 2016). 3.3.1 Photographic study 3.3.2 General analysis 3.3.3 Mining and historic values 3.3.4 Landscape and biodiversity 3.3.5 Geologica I features 3.3.6 The built environment 3.3.7 Presentation 3.3.8 The site in terms of the seasons 3.4 The opportunities 3.5 The framework 3.6 The client and programme © University of Pretoria Chapter 4 7.7.3 The water tank 4.1 Background to archaeology 7.7.4 The reception 4.1.1 The purpose of archaeology 7.7.5 The administration area 4.1.2 The scientist, the collector and the treasure hunter 7.7.6 The restaurant 4.1.3 Archaeological sites 7.7.7 The route to the cave 4.1.4 The archaeological process 7.7.8 The archive and library 4.2 Theory 7.7.9 The cave 4.2.1 Time and space 7.7.10 The workshop and laboratories 4.2.2 Memory as a measure of time 4.2.3 Theoretical application Chapter 8 4.2.4 Theoretical premise 8.1 The background 4.3 The architectural intention 82 SANS 10400 4.4 The architectural vision 8.3 Iterations 4.5 The conceptual approach 8.4 Technical precedent study 8.5 Materials Chapter 5 8.5.1 The structural materials 5.1 Precedents 8.5.2 The infill materials 5.1.1 Stonehenge (international) 8.6 The structure 5.1.2 Lascaux (international) 8.6.1 Demountable primary structure 5.1.3 Twyfelfontein (international) 8.6.2 Demountable foundations 5.1.4 Mapungubwe (national) 8.6.3 Demountable roof 5.15 Malapa (local) 8.7 The services 5.2 Programme requirements 8.7.1 Demountable services 8.7.2 Demountable water supply Chapter 6 8.7.3 Demountable energy supply c;,--- ---00 6.1.1 Museum of Civilisations 8.7.4 Demountable ablutions 6.1.2 Coromandel Estate Manor House 8.8 The systems 6.1.3 Akknabbajuvet Zink Mine 8.8.1 Introduction to the climate 6.1.4 Musashino Art University 8.8.2 Passive strategies 6.1.5 Serpentine Pavilion 8.8.3 Active strategies 6.1.6 Shelters for Roman Site 8.9 The landscape interventions 6.1.7 Additional influences 8.9.1 Access 8.9.2 Parking Chapter 7 8.9.3 Active strategies 7.1 The background 8.9.4 Fire 7.2 The design development 8.9.5 Red data species 7.3 Site circulation 7.3.1 The past Chapter 9 7.3.2 The present Design resolution 7.4 The paleoarchaelogical process 7.4.1 The datum Chpater 10 7.4.2 The grid Conclusion 7.4.3 The cardinal points 7.5 The excavation process 7.6 The description of the site plan 7.4.1 The northern edge 7.4.2 The northern entrance 7.4.3 The western entrance 7.7 The descript"1on of the research centre 7.7.1 The seperation of elements 7.7.2 The use of steel © University of Pretoria Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 The background This chapter gives a brief introduction to the context, the choice of site, identified issues Throughout the modern era archaeologists and antiquarians have been associated with playing a negative and research questions, the intentions of the dissertation, the research methodology role, as archaeologists were seen as intransigent enthusiasts of the past, driven by an appetite for experiencing the past as present (Schnapp, Shanks & Tiews 2004:3). Today, the field of archaeology is driven by a culture of and the contribution to architecture. artisan connoisseurship and collecting, relating to the suburban estate, the bourgeois, the university and the museum. These collectors have separated the archaeologist, archaeological object and archaeological site, with the sole understanding of the archaeology resting on architectural design, which is an architecture mainly driven by the creation of a symbol of capitalism and propaganda. 1.1 THE BACKGROUND This dissertation investigates the role of architecture as the connection between the study of the past, the understanding of the present, and the possibilities of the future. The ability of architecture to adapt to the needs I of its time is furthermore explored, where the concept of temporality shapes the design process. 1.2 THE PROPOSED CONTEXT -7 1.2.1 THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND -7 1.2.2 KROMDRAAI CAVE I 1.2 The proposed context 1.3 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM -7 1.3.1 GENERAL ISSUE -7 1.3.2 URBAN ISSUE -7 1.3.3 ARCHITECTURAL ISSUE I 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS I 1.5 THE DISSERTATION INTENTION I 1.6 THE METHODOLOGY I 1.7THE CONTRIBUTION 1.2 -The proposed context (Author, 2016). © University of Pretoria l 1.3- The Cradle of Humankind (Author, 2016). 1.4- Kromdraai cave (Author, 2016).
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